When Darkness Turns To Light
by Final Phantasy
Summary: Outside, Nico is a strong, confident, feared son of Hades. On the inside, he's a scared fourteen year old boy trying to keep his emotions in check. When Will Solace comes along, will he be able to help the son of death accept himself? Will Nico be able to control himself on the next big quest? Post BoO, rated T to be safe, Solangelo fluff, awesome quest, and super sexy characters.
1. The Hawaiian Shirt

**Author's Note: Yes I'm working on a new story, please don't judge me x'D. This is my first Solangelo story, and my first PJO/HOO story in a while, so please be gentle.**

 **Sadly I don't own any of the Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus series, those all belong to Uncle Rick.**

 **Chapter 1: The Hawaiian Shirt**

Nico and Jason had been bickering back and forth for the last fifteen minutes. Nico was extremely annoyed by the son of Jupiter, and Jason was incredibly frustrated with the overly complicated son of Hades.

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty pleaseeee-"

"No."

"What if we-"

"No."

"But we would look-"

"No way in hell, Jason."

Jason's smile disappeared as he fell to the ground with a loud _thud._

"Jason!" Nico screamed. "What the Hades was that all about?"

Nico's eyes grew large with concern at his friend's sudden state. When Jason responded, though, his concern quickly turned to annoyance once more.

"You-you," Jason choked out as if he was dying. "Refuse to… To… Wear this floral shirt. If you don't wear it-" he suddenly burst into a coughing fit, "-it takes away my life force. I'm- I'm dying Nico! Aren't you going to save me?"

The son of death signed while silently asking the gods why they were punishing him. It's not that he didn't want to wear the shirt, (actually, no, he despised the shirt, it's meaning, and it's colors) but he didn't want to do anything that would draw anymore attention to himself.

After all, he was the only living son of Hades at Camp Half-Blood, and that already gave him enough unwanted attention. And if he were to walk around in _that,_ well, he was most certainly screwed. Especially if Jason followed him around all day.

Nico gave Jason his best death glare, but before he could open his mouth to respond, Percy burst the door open and strutted into the room. Nico's jaw instantly dropped from the shock of seeing the son of the sea god.

"Oh dear gods. What in the name of Hades are you-"

Nico couldn't bring myself to finish that sentence. The scene before him was much too horrifying for words.

"Do you like it!" Percy hollered while striking a pose. Percy's hip was out stretched, his hand behind his head, his chest popping out, and an obnoxious kissy face was plastered across his normally goofy one.

Here was Percy Jackson, Hero of Olympus, savior of the world, the most powerful son of Poseidon, standing in the doorway of the Hades cabin, wearing a dark blue Hawaiian floral shirt, sunglasses, khaki shorts, and matching dark blue flip flops.

"Why?" the son of Hades begged. "Why do you guys hate me?"

Percy sauntered over like a model, swaying his hips in an over dramatic manner, and doing a little turn once he reached Nico and Jason.

"Does Annabeth know what you're doing?" Nico asked in disbelief.

"Yup!" Percy chirped with his stupid grin. "She actually encouraged it! I think her exact words were, _'I would love to see all three of you in cheesy Hawaiian tourist clothing. It would be quite entertaining to see how that escapade would end.'"_

Percy reached his hand out to Jason and lifted him back to the ground. Jason and Percy were wearing identical outfits, except Jason's shirt and flip flops were an annoyingly bright yellow color. He looked like a giant walking ball of sunshine, and _not_ the good kind. Ugh… Just the sight of it made Nico want to vomit.

"Jason. You're shirt is giving me a massive headache," Nico complained while rubbing his temples.

The son of Hades' two "best friends" exchanged a knowing look before creeping up on him like the cat from _Alice in Wonderland._

"Oh, is that so?" Percy purred while prancing around Nico.

"I think it's a lie, don't you, my dear cousin?" Jason purred while also circling the son of death.

Nico's eyes grew wide at the strange encounter. Sure, he knew his friends were a little crazy, but this was just a bit too much. In fact, it seemed slightly sadistic if you were to ask the son of Hades.

"Woah," Nico said while defensively raising his skinny hands in the air. "You guys are starting to creep me out, and my father is the god of the Underworld."

Both boys' faces were covered with equally enormous smirks. Nico was afraid their faces were going to split in half right before his eyes.

"Neeks, it's just ridiculous that yellow gives you a headache-" Jason began.

"When you spend all of your time staring at a certain child of Apollo," Percy finished.

At that moment, the skeletal butterflies had returned to Nico's stomach, and he could feel his cheeks turning a dark shade of red. There was no way in Hades he was going to let Percy and Jason know that.

Gods, if they _ever_ found out about his crush on Will Solace, he would never hear the end of it. Nico would spend the rest of his life living in constant embarrassment by the hands of his two best friends.

Not only that, there was also the fact that neither Jason nor Percy could keep a secret. Within a few hours the whole camp would know about his new love interest and then… He didn't want to think about what would happen then.

Instead of staying silent and giving himself away, Nick shoved them both back aggressively and gave them his most threatening death glare.

"Since when did you guys finish each other's sentences? If I didn't know any better, I would think that you guys were together or something!"

Percy and Jason hugged while giving each other fake kisses. Those two had a very interesting bromance, for lack of a better word.

"Oh please, dear cousin-" Percy began with his arms still wrapped around Jason's waist. The action made Nico visibly shudder.

"We were simply observing your behavior," Jason finished, his head lying against Percy's chest.

Nico rolled his eyes and let out an annoyed groan.

"Can you guys _please_ stop acting like the cat from _Wonderland With Alice!_ " Nico shouted.

It was by that point that Jason and Percy broke away, neither of them able to take the ridiculous situation any longer, and erupted into their own uncontrollable fits of laughter.

When a minute or two had passed, Nico realized that they weren't going to stop anytime soon. Like an angry child, he crossed his arms around his chest and hung his head down.

"What?" Nico huffed. "What's so funny?"

"Y-you!" Percy exclaimed. "It's _Alice in Wonderland_ , not _Wonderland with Alice_!"

The son of Hades could feel his jaw and fist clenching. He absolutely _hated_ making himself look like a fool, especially in front of these two idiots that he called his best friends.

"Well, excuse me for not being up to date with your pop culture references!" Nico shrieked.

Jason wiped a tear away while Percy managed to stand up on his feet again.

"That's it, I'm leaving. Lunch is going to start any minute now."

Nico spun on his heel, completely prepared to walk away, until Jason's strong grip clasped onto his bony wrist.

Nico's eyes filled with terror at the sudden encounter. On instinct, he elbowed Jason in the ribs, flipped him over, stomped on his throat, and ran to the other side of the Hades cabin.

Jason fell to the ground with an _oof_ while Percy sat by and watched, clearly impressed.

"Great timing, dude!" Percy remarked.

Nico rolled his eyes, but a blood curdling scream broke him away from his thoughts.

"NEEKS PLEASE!" Jason screamed while still lying on the hard mahogany ground. "Wear the damn shirt! We'd all be matching, we would look so cute!"

Jason looked like he was about to cry at this point. Nope, no way. He was not going to make Nico di Angelo crack.

"You're never going to convince me."

And with that, Nico gave the two one last glance before making his way towards the cabin's front exit.

"Wait!" Percy called after him. "What if we asked Drew Tanaka to curse you and reveal your crush to the entire camp?" Percy screamed before Nico could fully exit the Hades cabin.

Nico's breath caught in his thought. Sure, all of his close friends knew about his former crush on Percy, but he completely denied the fact that he way gay. He had convinced them all that Percy was merely a phase all adolescent boys go through. Everyone bought it, except his sister Hazel.

Being the amazing sister that she is, she kept Nico's secret, and denied all the accusations that he was gay.

After all, they were both born around the same time period. They knew what happened to people who were homosexuals. They were tortured, shunned, feared… All things Nico had already experienced. He didn't need anymore pain.

Nico and Hazel weren't dumb. They had learned what happened to gays during World War II. Hitler had forced them to wear upside down pink triangles on their clothing, abducted them from the only life they had once known, and sent them off to the slaughter at one of his concentration camps.

Neither of them knew how the world worked now, but they weren't willing to risk the exile.

"Give me the damn shirt."

 **~Page Break~**

"Ugh," Piper gagged while glaring at the Aphrodite table. "Sometimes I really hate Drew. She's pretty but that's about it."

"Oh come on, don't be so harsh on your sissy," Will joked playfully. "We're all big kids now, it's time to play nice."

"Solace, if you don't shut up, I will stab you with my fork."

"That's not nice!"

"Yeah, well-"

Piper was cut off by a very audible _gasp_. Every camper, from every table, was staring in the direction of the cabins.

"No," Piper breathed silently.

From the look on Annabeth's face, she couldn't comprehend what was happening either. Right now she was currently howling in laughter while tears streamed down her face. The sight was actually very rare. Will had never seen the daughter of Athena look so… _Carefree_ before.

With Percy Jackson as her boyfriend, you would expect Annabeth to be more laid back and chill, but she's the complete opposite. Will guessed that opposites really do attract.

Walking towards the dining pavilion was Percy, Jason, and Nico. They all wore Hawaiian floral shirts, khaki shorts, flip flops, and sunglasses. Percy and Jason had several Hawaiian necklaces wrapped around their necks, while Nico only had a single black one hanging from his pale neck.

Percy and Jason looked like they had just defeated every single Titan, by hand, and blindfolded, while Nico had his arms crossed and his head facing the ground. The look on his face was absolutely priceless.

"I-I didn't think they would act-actually d-do it!" Annabeth explained between laughs.

"Wait," Will interrupted. "You knew about this?"

All she could do was nod her head rapidly while trying (and failing) to regain her composure.

The fact that Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena and head counselor of said cabin, most intelligent person at Camp Half-Blood, and fellow savior of Olympus, was involved with a stunt like this was an extraordinary surprise in itself.

"Oh gods, I can already see him brooding," Piper murmured.

And Piper was right. Even from this distance, Will could see the death glare Nico was shooting at every single person in his line of sight.

Annabeth concealed her laughter as the three boys sat around the table. It was at that moment that Calypso, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Reyna also sat down at the table.

Leo roared with laughter, Hazel just snickered, Frank looked rather unaffected, Calypso was chuckling silently, and Reyna stayed as serious as ever.

"Hey Neeks," Leo called to him from across the table, a teasing tone in his voice.

"What do you want, Valdez?"

"You look a little more… Colorful than usual. Did the Aphrodite cabin finally enchant your closet?"

Another wave of laughter sailed across the table, and this time no one could hold themselves back.

"No, they didn't," Nico barked back between gritted teeth.

Nico's tone did not discourage the son of the forge god.

"Hey Neeks," Leo began once more. "You look a little… _Heated._ What's wrong? Is that shirt… NOT YOUR TYPE?"

This time, the table's laughter was three times as loud, and all the other campers at the surrounding tables were staring at them. Some of them even began to laugh at the random exchange, even though they had no idea what was actually going on.

Percy groaned loudly while Annabeth comforted him silently.

"Come on!" Percy shouted to no one in particular. "That was like, a million years ago! Besides, I'm everyone's type!"

 _*Cough*_ "Not Nico's!" Jason shouted over the group's laughter.

Annabeth let out a frustrated sigh while rubbing her temples. By the look on her face, she had been through this routine a thousand times before. She looked like an overworked mother comforting her child after a temper tantrum.

"Leo, his ego's already been bruised enough. No need to continue the assassination of his fragile ego."

"My ego is _not_ fragile!" Percy yelled in a voice that was a tad bit too high pitched.

The sound of his voice caused the group to erupt in laughter once more, and the campers who had also heard his protest giggled and chuckled as well. Percy hid his face in Annabeth's shoulder, mumbling, _but I'm everybody's type._

Everyone seated at the table let out a few more giggles before Frank decided to carry on the conversation.

"If the Aphrodite cabin didn't threaten you, then what the Hera happened?" questioned Frank curiously.

"I don't even want to know," Reyna said while dropping her salad fork with a dramatic _clang_.

"Wait, I want to know! How in the name of Pluto did you manage to convince Nico to wear that!" exclaimed Hazel. "I mean, it has more than one color! And those colors aren't gray or an off shade of black!"

While everyone at the table snickered at Hazel's examination, Jason and Percy shared a knowing look. If the fellow Greek and Roman campers didn't know any better, they could of swore they literally saw a blush spread across Nico's face.

"We threatened him of course," replied Percy nonchalantly.

"Hold on, you threatened him?" Reyna and Will quipped back angrily.

Within a matter of seconds Reyna was on her feet and glaring daggers at the now terrified son of Poseidon. Will, on the other hand, was scolding Percy and lecturing him that physical harm would not lead Nico towards a steady recovery.

"Wait, wait! Not like that!" Percy explained while hiding behind Jason. "We told him that if he didn't put on the shirt, we would tell Drew Tanaka to curse him and reveal his crush! No physical harm, I swear!"

For the first time tonight, the table suddenly went silent. No laughter, no snickers, absolutely nothing.

By this point, Nico was fuming and spewing a few curse words in Italian. If it wasn't for Will's doctor's orders, Nico would of opened the earth and sent both boys to the Underworld. Hades, he would of summoned a hundred skeleton warriors to take them away. Instead, he stormed off in a frustrated fashion.

"Great, now look at what you've done!" Hazel cried. "Nico, brother, please come back!"

"No!" he shouted over his shoulder as he stomped away.

A single tear streamed down Hazel's face. Frank wiped it away with his thumb and intertwined their hands together.

If only they knew how upset Nico really was. His sexuality was a very sensitive topic for him, and the idea of being outed by one of Drew Tanaka's curses was truly terrifying.

"I can't stand it when he's upset," she squealed while trying to catch her breath.

"We didn't think he would get that mad…" Percy murmured.

"We just wanted him to be a little more fun and social," Jason finished.

"Fun and social!" Hazel barked. "He's a son of Hades for Jupiter's sake! Of course he does not want to partake in things that would draw more attention to him!"

Hazel sank down in her seat and hid her face in her hands. Frank tried consoling her to the best of his abilities, but it was obviously no use. Everyone's heart broke at the sound of her stifled cries.

"Will," she finally muttered after a few moments of silence. "Can you please go and check on him? He actually enjoys your presence."

Will rose from the table and immediately sprinted off in the direction Nico went. Luckily for him, he left so fast that no one noticed the blush inching across his face.

Nico likes him?

The son of Apollo roamed around camp aimlessly until he finally spotted the son of Hades. He was sitting on the borderline between camp and the woods. He had removed his floral t-shirt, exposing his pale chest and scars. _Gods_ , Will thought, _he's so beautiful_.

"Hey Death Boy," Will called to him.

After everything that had happened earlier, Will half expected Nico to flip him off and run into the woods. The other half of him expected Nico to break his doctor's orders and shadow travel to Zeus knows where.

"Hey Sunshine," Nico replied softly.

Will was pleasantly surprised by his tone of voice.

He plopped himself down next to him, trying to keep his gaze on Nico's face and not his body.

"I know Percy and Jason can be jerks, but they don't mean to be. Their intentions were good."

Will was right. Percy and Jason acted like five years olds, but they loved Nico like a brother. Both of them would go to Tartarus and back (literally) to keep the son of Hades safe. The thought alone made Nico crack a small lopsided smile.

"I know," said Nico. "But they still managed to embarrass me in front of you and all my other friends. It was mortifying."

"Having a crush is no reason to be embarrassed," Will explained in a small voice.

Nico sighed and yanked on his dark black hair. The son of Apollo could practically see the shadows swirling around him furiously.

"Well, for me, it is," Nico spat.

"Everyone gets crushes, Nico. It's a normal part of life."

"Well… My crush, it isn't normal," Nico explained awkwardly.

Will turned to face Nico, and the expression the son of death wore continued to mystify him. After all the time Will had known Nico, he had never seen him make a face like that before. It was a mix of sadness, pity, and fear? What could Nico di Angelo possibly fear?

Holy Hades, he's seen the Underworld, spent most of his life in a crazy casino in the center of Las Vegas, survived Tartarus, and his father is the god of the dead! Again, what could his Death Boy be so afraid of?

"Why?" Will questioned once he had recollected his thoughts. "Because you're a son of Hades? That has nothing to do with it. You don't have to be a child of Aphrodite to want love."

"Will, please," Nico begged, his voice cracking. "You don't understand."

By this point Nico's eyes were full of unshed tears. Will had never seen him look so… Broken.

He leaned in closer to the son of Hades. Will towered over Nico much more in comparison, making Nico's skeletal butterflies return and soar uncontrollably.

"I don't understand because you're not telling me the full story," Will responded gently. "I want to understand you down to the letter, but I can't do that unless you want me to. Do you want me to?"

"Yes…"

Will grabbed Nico's hand in the most platonic way that he could and forced the shorter boy to face him.

"Then tell my why it's so different?" he practically whispered, his face inches away from the other boy's.

That was the first time he had ever seen all the color drain from Nico di Angelo's face.

"Okay-" Nico began sternly, bringing back his tough guy persona. "- but there's a few rules we have to go over. First, you can't tell anyone about this. Ever. Not Piper or Annabeth or even Percy. Secondly, if you blab, I will personally escort you to the Underworld against doctor's orders. Capicè?"

Will immediately blushed when he heard Nico's Italian accent come out.

"Capicè," he responded like a child.

"Okay," Nico began silently. "The reason my crush is so different is because, well…"

He couldn't finish his sentence. Instead, the son of Hades pushed himself away from the son of Apollo and burst into tears, his tough guy persona completely erased.

Will slowly moved himself closer to Nico and wrapped him in a loving hug. Nico tried resisting at first, but eventually gave up when he realized Will wasn't budging. The guy was a damn rock for gods sake.

"Please," he pleaded between tears. "Let me go, Will. I can't tell you anymore than I already have."

"I'm not letting you go," he replied while holding the sobbing son of death tighter. "I'm hear to listen to you. I'm _not_ giving up on you."

Nico, now fully defenseless, grips onto Will's t-shirt as the tears continue to run down his face. Will rubs small circles on his back while singing soothing words into Nico's ear.. After fifteen minutes or so, the tears start calm down, and so does Nico.

"I know having a crush is scary, but you shouldn't be afraid of falling."

"But-but my crush is _different_ ," Nico insisted.

He stopped hugging Nico then. Thankfully, Nico didn't get up and run away. Will intertwined their hands together and once more forced the younger boy to look at him.

"Please talk to me. I want to help you, but I can't if you keep closing yourself off from me. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah," Nico choked out. "We're friends. Just, just give me a second to prepare myself."

Will nodded his head sympathetically as Nico took in a deep breath.

"I'm… The thing is, I'm… I'm gay, and I have a crush on a boy."

Will couldn't help the little gymnastics routine his heart did. Ever since the Battle of Manhattan, he had fallen madly in love with a certain dark haired Ghost King. Up until this point, he never thought that he had a chance.

"Wait, are you serious?" Will pondered, still in a state of shock and happiness.

Nico's eyes filled with an emotion Will had never seen before. He pulled his hands out of Will's grip and stood up to walk away, but the son of Apollo grabbed his hand once more and pulled him back down before he could storm off.

"Nico!" Will shouted defiantly.

"Will!" Nico screamed back angrily. "See, I knew you wouldn't understand!"

The son of Apollo rolled his eyes at Nico's accusations. Damn, why did he have to be so complicated all the time!?

"Oh trust me, I understand completely!" Will retorted while trying to keep his temper down.

Normally, he was a happy go lucky person, but right now, he was peeved beyond belief. If Nico would just let him explain, the whole situation would be fine, but no. He has to shun Will out and ignore every word he says…

"No, you don't! There's no way you could ever know how painful this feels!"

Nico was crying and screaming again. Shadows were gliding around him at a rapid pace and Will could see his eyes turning a darker shade of black. The ground around them was trembling, and in all honestly, Will was incredibly concerned for Nico's safety at the moment.

"Hey!" Will yelled over the commotion the shadows were causing. "Nico, please, try to calm down! Please… Please! This isn't good for your health! You're going to disappear and turn into a shadow and I-I wouldn't be able to live with myself if that happened!"

Will threw himself at the son of Hades, engulfing him in an unbreakable hug. Nico's body was tense, but eventually, he managed to calm himself down. The shadows surrounding them had ceased their overactive activity.

"I'm sorry," Nico proclaimed between sobs. "Really Sunshine, I'm so, so sorry. I'm not one to apologize but… Well, I went crazy for a little while."

"Death Boy, you're not crazy. You were scared. It happens to the best of us."

"Oh yeah?" Nico sniffled weakly. "When other people get scared, they don't accidentally get the shadows to go wild, and they most certainly don't almost open the ground into the Underworld."

"Well," Will countered. "Those people aren't special like you."

"You think I'm special?" Nico asked, still wrapped in Will's arms, his head lying against the blonde haired boy's chest.

"Of course I do," Will responded sweetly. "You're amazing."

Nico could feel his heartbeat accelerating. Will Solace, _his_ Will Solace, just called him amazing.

"Even though I'm gay," Nico choked out softly. "You still think I'm amazing?"

Will held Nico tighter and buried his face into his soft hair.

"What if I told you I was gay too? Would that change things?"

 **End of chapter one!**

 **So, what did you guys think? I honestly have no idea where this story is going, so any suggestions are welcomed with open arms!**

 **Also, let me explain a few things. 1. Since Nico was born in the 1930's, he has no idea what modern day pop culture consist of. 2. In the books, I know that everyone knows that our dear Neeks is gay, but for the sake of this story, he's so deep in the closet that he's in the garage. 3. I know Nico crying/breaking down seems a little AU, but I feel like he would be more open with his emotions when with Will. Also, his fear of being gay is very rational, so please don't judge my story choices. 4. Yes, there were a few Ouran High School Host Club reference in this chapter. A virtual cookie shall be awarded to whoever points them out first ^-^**

 **Sorry if there were a few mistakes in this chapter /: I tried editing it to the best of my ability! As always, read, review, follow, etc etc. I love you readers so much!**

 **~The OG Judicorn (Solangelo Shipper)**


	2. Learning To Let Go

**Author's Note: Geez ya'll, where do I even start? The feedback you guys have given me on this story has been absolutely amazing! Each review managed to put a huge smile on my face. I'm so thankful for all the PM's, reviews, followers, favorites, etc.**

 **It means so much to me that people are actually interested in this story, especially since I've spent so much time and energy working out the details, creating a plot line, and a bunch of other stuff for this one story.**

 _ **And so begins the era of waiting. Any day, a wild new chapter will appear, and satisfy the hunger of a guy who really needs to read more of this story. -7GattiNeri**_

 **That guy I just quoted up there? He was the first person to review this story, and he's the best thing ever x'D His review made my day and literally made me howl in fucking laughter!**

 **Also, just so you guys know, any suggestions for where you want this story to go is very much welcomed!**

 **Chapter 2: Learning To Let Go**

Hazel sighed, clearly exasperated. She had been stabbing her fork into the chicken on her plate for the last ten minutes.

What was taking Will so dang long? Had he not found Nico yet? No, he must of. It's been much too long. Plus, since Nico can't shadow travel, he couldn't have gone too far. Obviously he was with Wil right now and not an evaporating shadow… Right?

"They've been gone for a really long time," Hazel muttered to no one in particular. "Should we go look for them? What if something went wrong?"

"What could _possibly_ go wrong?" Leo asked sarcastically.

Hazel shot him a glare only a child of Hades or Pluto could posses. Leo immediately shuddered and then proceeded to hide behind Calypso. The gorgeous goddess snickered at his behavior and gave Hazel a genuinely sympathetic look.

"Excuse him," Calypso stated softly, subconsciously batting her pretty eyelashes in the process. "This one has no filter. I'll try to keep him on the check from now on."

Hazel giggled at Calypso's butchered modern day response and gave the goddess a sweet smile in return. Over the past few weeks, the two girls had bounded quickly, and they were now very close friends. The fact that Calypso wasn't up to date with modern day media and sayings gave Hazel a form of comfort she had only originally had with Nico.

"Thanks Cal," Hazel replied sweetly.

"Hazel's right," Piper pointed out after staying silent for so long. Her voice was so loud and commanding it made almost everyone at the table jump. "Will and Nico have been gone for a while now. I say we go and look for them."

"I agree!" Percy declared as he rose from his seat.

"Yeah, me too!" Jason yelled while also standing.

Reyna stood from her seat with a threatening glare, making the two boys sink back into their seats. The daughter of Bellona was scary when she was mad. She was one Roman demi-god you certainly did _not_ want to have a feud with.

Even though Jason still denies it to this day, there had been a time where he was so terrified of Reyna that he was classified as her "head bitch." Whenever it is mentioned, he has no comment.

"Oh Hades no!" she screeched at the son's of the Big Three. "You two have already done enough damage for today!" Reyna looked around at the faces surrounding the table. "Hazel, Piper, Frank, and I will go look for the boys. Annabeth, make sure those two don't leave their seats and try to follow us!"

Annabeth mock saluted Reyna and responded with _'Yes ma'am!'_

"You!" Reyna shouted while pointing at Leo. "Stay here and try _not_ to blow anything up. Calypso, make sure he doesn't budge, okay?"

Calypso gave the daughter of Bellona a firm nod and wrapped her hand around Leo's.

"Alright!" Reyna announced. "The rest of you, come with me!"

Frank, Hazel, and Piper quickly stood and followed the daughter of Bellona's orders. They followed Reyna's lead and headed in the direction that Nico and Will disappeared into.

Reyna would never say it out loud, but she was secretly terrified of what Nico might do, especially since he was more pissed than Hades was when he was forced to rule over the Underworld. Nico was very unstable when he was angry, and Jupiter knows what he would do to himself right now.

"Where do you think they are?" Piper questioned, breaking Reyna from her inner dilemma.

Hazel racked her brain for an answer. He wouldn't have gone to the Hades cabin, it'd be much too easy to find him there. The lake? Nope, that's out of the question. Nico hates the lake and going there because of the awful sunburn he acquired a few weeks ago. Will had warned him _over_ and _over_ again to wear sunscreen, but did Death the Kid listen? Nope. As a result, he ended up with a major sunburn all along his pale back.

Nico also wouldn't choose to train at this moment. He hates sparing with people who aren't his friends because he feels awkward around them. He can't be in the infirmary… No, he only attends when Will is present or has a shift.

Hazel was mentally kicking herself for not knowing her only brother better. Where the Pluto could he possibly be?

"Found them," Frank said nonchalantly while pointing into the woods.

"Good eye, Eagle Frank!" Piper chirped.

Hazel let her thoughts disappear as she rushed towards the son of Hades.

"Brother!" she cried while approaching him, happy tears streaming down her face.

It may seem ridiculous to some people, but Hazel really did love Nico. He was the only person (besides Frank and Calypso) who truly understood her down to the letter.

They could relate over sayings, media, and culture from their own time periods. Nico and Hazel were both proud children of the god of the Underworld. They've both spent so much of their lives alone that they really need someone else to lean on. That's why Hazel absolutely adores her only brother.

Nico hugged her tightly once she had launched herself into his arms, ignoring any strange looks he may of gotten from campers who were just passing by. Seeing Nico di Angelo openly _accepting_ and _returning_ a hug was a very rare sight.

"We were _so_ worried about you," Hazel huffed while clutching onto Nico's shirt.

"Why were you worried about me?" Nico asked in disbelief.

"Because," Hazel sighed, wiping away a stray tear. "I was afraid you were going to shadow travel or-or accidentally use your powers and then… Then you would evaporate into a shadow and I'd be… All alone again."

The thought alone made Hazel burst into tears once again. Nico was not only her brother, but her savior. He risked a dangerous journey into the Underworld and brought Hazel back to the land of the living. She could never repay him for giving her the gift of life back.

"No, no, that's never giving to happen," Nico explained while playing with Hazel's hair. "You're my sister. I'm never going to leave you like that. I love you, Hazel."

The daughter of Pluto looked up at him with tear filled eyes. Her cheeks were red and puffy from crying, she had tear stains running down her face, and by this point she was beginning to hyperventilate.

"I love you too," she replied with a hoarse voice.

 **~Page Break~**

Later in the night (around six o'clock) Will headed to his shift at the infirmary, Percy and Jason were instructed to keep their distance from Nico for the next few days, Frank and Reyna were planning a special demi-god event with Chiron, Annabeth was spending time with her siblings in the Athena cabin, Leo and Calypso were working in the forges, and Nico, Hazel, and Piper were all gathered in the Hades cabin.

They were all cuddled on Nico's bed (much to his discomfort) and they were currently watching _Alice in Wonderland._

"Wow," Nico exclaimed halfway through the movie. "This is a kids film? It's so dark. I've heard and seen over twenty references to my father already."

Hazel giggled while Piper suddenly became stiff.

"Damn," the daughter of Aphrodite choked out. "I remember this movie being creepy when I was a kid, but I don't remember it being _this_ bad."

The three sat through the rest of the disturbing film until the ending credits.

"Well, that was disturbing," Hazel remarked.

"I liked it," Nico stated while shrugging his shoulders.

The other two nodded their heads in agreement. Nico would never admit it, but a _freaking Disney_ movie managed to give him chills.

"I should get going, you guys," Piper stated after regaining her ability to speak. "It's going to get dark soon, and unless I want to be hunted down by harpies, I better get back to the Aphrodite cabin."

Hazel gave Piper a hug, and Nico blushed when Piper gave him a little kiss on the cheek.

"See you guys later," the choppy haired girl called as she left the Hades cabin with a playful wink.

"I love that girl," Hazel said while chuckling slightly at Nico's expression.

The two children of death sat in silence until Hazel finally gathered the courage to ask the question that had been on her mind all day.

"So, Nico," she began awkwardly. "What exactly happened after you left? You know, with Will?"

Nico sighed, expecting this question to be asked sooner or later.

"Well…"

 ** _~Flashback~_**

 _"What if I told you I was gay too? Would that change things?"_

 _Nico didn't know what to say to Will. For years, he spent his whole life believing that he was disgusting, unbearable, and wrong. He spent years living in fear, and now here he was, over sixty years later, learning that being gay was legitimately okay._

 _He couldn't even begin to comprehend the discovery._

 _"Do your parents know?" Nico pondered out loud, feeling stupid for not thinking of anything else to say._

 _Will let out a slight chuckle._

 _"Of course they know! And even if they didn't, it's rather obvious, don't you think? I mean, come on! I sing songs from "Rent," "Phantom," and "Wicked" on a regular basis. My mom found out when I was ten years old."_

 _The son of Hades' eyes went wide at Will's confession. Ten? His mother found out when he was only ten years of age? Holy Hades, if Nico had revealed his feelings to his mother during that day and age, he would of been screwed. Disowned and shipped away to gods know where._

 _The mere thought terrified him. Long ago, when he, Bianca, and his mother still resided in Venice, Italy, he fell in love with the little blonde boy who lived next door. Nico can't recall his name, but he still remembers all of his features from his blue eyes, to the freckles on his face, and the dimples on his spine._

 _When they were both ten years old, the other little boy held Nico's hand and gave him a kiss on the cheek. The blonde haired boy's mother had spotted them from the kitchen window and rushed out immediately._

 _She then proceeded to push Nico onto the ground, rip her son away from him, curse both boys out in Italian, and angrily storm back into her house in under a minute._

 _The initial shock was enough to traumatize Nico for years to come. The scared young boy was left lying on the ground, crying, for almost twenty minutes until Bianca found him. By that point he was hysterical and unable to tell her what had happened. He spent that night curled up with his mother in her bed. She played with his soft hair and sang him to sleep, the tears finally running dry._

 _After that day, Nico never saw the blonde haired blue eyed boy again. According to his mother, the boy and his family had suddenly moved to Greece without any warning or notice._

 _Every now and then, Nico remembers the beautiful boy he had once known, and he still kicks himself for getting him sent away. That was the day he started blaming himself for every bad thing in his life._

 _"Are they… Are they okay with that?" Nico stammered._

 _"My mother was a bit hesitant at first," Will explained. "But after a while, she got used to the idea, and now she openly accepts me for who I am. As for my father, well, he's had his fair share of male lovers, so I'm sure he has no problem with me being gay."_

 _A small blush crept across Nico's face at the thought of Will's parents knowing that he was gay and still loving him anyway._

 _Bianca had always accepted Nico, and she knew all about the little blue eyed boy next door. She thought their friendship was absolutely adorable. Nico can still recall a time where his older sister had caught them holding hands, and he ran away with the boy out of embarrassment. It's one of the many happy memories from his childhood. You know, before his loving mother was struck down by Zeus._

 _"You're really, really lucky Will," Nico declared in awe. "It's amazing that so many people accept you."_

 _"It's not just me," Will pointed out._

 _Nico raised an eyebrow at Will and motioned for him to continue._

 _"You do know that I'm not the only gay demi-god at Camp Half-Blood, right?" Will questioned._

 _Nico scoffed at his announcement._

 _"Obviously not anymore, Sunshine. Aren't you and I the only gay campers here?"_

 _"Now, that's where you're wrong," Will pointed out. "There's actually a lot more LGBT campers here than you would expect."_

 _The son of death was now dumbstruck and speechless. Camp Half-Blood housed LGBT campers that weren't him and Will?_

 _Back in the 1930's and 40's, almost nobody was gay, or at least openly gay. It was considered an extremely rare disease that few suffered from. Those who were diagnosed as homesexual were taken away to insane asylums, locked away from society, tested on, and given electric shock therapy._

 _Sure, some people tried to live with their lovers in secret, but nothing could be hidden forever. Whenever someone discovered the true nature of their relationship, the homosexual's houses were raided, and the couples would be beaten to death. Sadly, everyone just looked the other way._

 _Just the idea of people being openly gay made Nico cringe. Why would someone want to admit that their sexual orientation was going against the status quo in a society that was so damn cruel? Why would anyone want to label themselves as different and put a walking target on their back? Why would anyone ever want to be a prisoner in their own fucking skin?_

 _"Yup," Will responded while popping the P. "You won't find a single guy in the Apollo cabin that isn't gay or at the very least bisexual. Same thing goes for all of my sisters. Almost everyone in the Athena cabin is either asexual, aromantic, or demi sexual. And don't even get me started on the Aphrodite cabin! It's like a pansexual orgy up in there!"_

 _"Pansexual orgy?" Nico repeated while trying to contain his laughter. "That saying is so outdated, even I know what it means. I was born in the 1930's, Solace."_

 _Will felt his face turn hot once he had realized what he had just said to Nico. Pansexual orgy? Really? Could he sound anymore lame?_

 _"Oh, whatever!" Will cried with mock hurt. "Anyway, you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. No one in this camp is homophobic, and if they are, then screw them!"_

 _Nico thought about Will's words long and hard. The Greek demi-gods were children of the most divine beings in existence. Over the course of their mythology, many of them have had countless homosexual relationships. It's only natural for their children to be more accepting. The realization made Nico's smile drop, but it didn't go unnoticed by Will._

 _"Death Boy, what's wrong? Don't you feel more comfortable knowing that you aren't alone anymore?"_

 _Nico felt a single tear stream down his face._

 _"I'm not alone at camp, Will. The rest of the world isn't like this. They aren't accepting of people like you and me. They send us away to insane asylums and label us as "unconventional" and "wrong." Face it, society will never let us be happy and open with who we love."_

 _This time, it was Will's smile that dropped. He had a river of tears streaming down his face. His eyes were full of pain and sorrow._

 _Nico, blaming himself for causing Will's pain, inched closer to the blonde haired boy and wiped his tears away gently. The simple action was enough to send Will's heart into orbit._

 _He could feel the yellow butterflies bouncing around in this stomach._

 _"Will… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."_

 _The son of Apollo let out a few more sniffles before facing the Ghost King._

 _"Nico, no, you're not the reason I'm crying." At that moment Will looked Nico straight in the eye and clasped his hand tightly. His fingers were playing with the inside of Nico's palm, and thankfully the shorter boy didn't protest or pull his hand away. "I'm crying because of how you view the world. I know you've probably heard this a million times, but things have changed since the 1930's. The world is a much more open and colorful place than it used to be."_

 _To Nico's own surprise, he gripped Will's hand even tighter while asking his next question._

 _"How is the world more open now?"_

 _"Well, for starters, did you know that gay men and lesbian women can get married in all 50 states? Gay marriage is legal all over the US."_

 _Nico's heart skipped a beat._

 _Gay people were allowed to get married in all 50 states?_

 _When he had been born, marriage consisted of one man and one woman. No exceptions. Anything else would be considered scandalous or wrong._

 _"That's beautiful," Nico declared._

 _He was now a sobbing mess, wrapped in Will's arms, and full of excitement. The world had progressed a lot over the past seventy years._

 _"Will, if people are so open with homosexuals now, I was wondering if-"_

 _Nico was cut off by a girl's voice shouting in their direction._

 _"Brother!" it rang in the wind._

 _ **~End of Flashback~**_

Hazel was now staring at Nico in awe. His tale had completely enchanted her.

Gay marriage was a thing now? She didn't even know it existed!

"Gay people can get married in all 50 states?" Hazel asked in amazement. "That's so wonderful! You can get married in any state you want, brother! No one can tell you who you can and can't love!"

Nico nodded his head slowly. The news was still sinking in, but it made him happy anyway. Whoever made gay marriage legal was certainly going to go down in the history books.

"I know! Things have certainly changed a lot since our time, haven't they?"

The two children of death shared a knowing look before smiles completely took over their faces.

"At least it's a good change," Hazel replied brightly. "So, what are you going to do about Will now that you know he's also gay?"

Damn, those fucking skeletal butterflies were back.

Nico's face burned with heat as his palms became sweaty.

"I honestly don't know," Nico said with a hint of melancholy in his voice. "I don't want to rush into anything right now. I may be over seventy years old, but right now, I'm currently living as an almost fifteen year old boy. I still need time to figure everything out for myself before I can take on another person."

"That's a very honorable choice, but if you don't mind me asking, are you sure you're not just afraid of being rejected by the one who holds your affection?"

Hazel could read Nico like a magazine. She knew her words spoke the truth.

After being rejected by all the other campers for years, society, and Percy, Nico was very afraid of putting his feelings out on the line. His heart wouldn't be able to take another disappointment.

Nico knew that he was now accepted by his friends, camp, and society, but it all still took some time to get used to. He was from a different era, obviously he couldn't just flip his mentality in the blink of an eye.

"So what if I am afraid of rejection?" Nico retorted. "Can you honestly blame me?"

"No, of course not," Hazel responded instantly. "All I'm saying is that Will really seems to like you. Maybe you should risk giving him a chance?"

The dark blush had returned to Nico's once all pale face.

"You really think he has a crush on me?" the son of Hades asked like a giddy eighth grader.

Hazel smiled at her brother's behavior. Will was the only person on the entire planet who could transform Nico into a pile of mush. If you asked her, it was truly adorable.

She loved how the two interacted with each other. If you didn't know them personally, you would have never guessed that they weren't officially together.

If anyone else tried to wrap their arms around Nico's waist, hold his hand, lift him up, call him short, or call him Death Boy, Nico would most likely raise an army of undead warriors to take them to the Underworld.

Will Solace was different though. Nico let Will do whatever he wanted with him because he actually _liked_ him.

At one point, Jason and Percy had caught onto the son of Hades' favoritism, but he immediately denied their allegations.

" _Anyone_ with working eyes can see that he has a huge crush on you!" Hazel hollered while throwing her arms around dramatically. Hmm, Nico's Italian ways seemed to be rubbing off on the daughter of Pluto.

"Really?" Nico questioned in a small voice. "I've never noticed before… What does he do that makes it seem like he has feelings for me?"

"Oh dear gods," Hazel groaned while rolling her eyes. "You're more oblivious than Percy!"

"Hey!" Nico shouted. "There's no way you can even begin to _compare_ me to Seaweed Brain!"

The daughter of Pluto eventually nodded her head in agreement, after much bickering with the son of death.

"Alright, alright. You aren't _that_ blind. But haven't you noticed all the little things he does when you're around? He smiles more often, he laughs louder, and he even blushes whenever you catch him staring at you! Hades, he practically _begs_ you to visit him in the infirmary everyday!"

Hazel suddenly giggled out of nowhere.

"Hey, Neeks," she began, sounding a little too much like Leo. "Do you like it when Will begs you for something?"

Nico's jaw dropped to the ground. This most certainly was _not_ his reserve and modest 1940's sister!

"Hazel Levesque!" Nico shouted, hiding his face behind his hands in embarrassment. "How dare you say such a thing?"

"Leo taught me!" she replied loudly.

Nico cracked his knuckles. Now he knew who else's ass he would have to kick tomorrow.

 **End of another chapter!**

 **I decided to post this chapter early because all the reviews were so nice and Solangelo fans are super awesome ^-^ Bonus points for Sibling!Love Hazel and Nico! And a big shout out to Love Wins! As a fellow member of the LGBT community, marriage equality has truly changed my life forever!**

 **As I stated in the last chapter, there were two Ouran High School Host Club references. In one episode, when Tama-chan ask if the host club can visit Haruhi's house, she replies with "No way in hell, senpi." In many of the episodes, the twins act like the cat from Alice in Wonderland, and they are constantly finishing each other's sentences.**

 **I'll try to update as soon as possible, but until then, please review and**

 **follow this story! I love you all!**

 **~The OG Judicorn (Solangelo Shipper)**


	3. Let His Lips Sin Again

**Author's Note: Again, thanks for the reviews and all the support you guys have given this story, it really means a lot to me! Reviews inspire me to keep this story alive! *Obvious hint to pretty please with sexy Solangelo on top leave a review is obviously obvious***

 **In this chapter you shall be blessed with adorable Solangelo fluff, first kisses, hand holding, skeletal butterflies, and you'll find out why Frank, Hazel, and Reyna are currently at Camp Half-Blood. In the next chapter, a quest will be announced!**

 **Okay, enough of me talking! Please enjoy the story!**

 **Chapter 3: Let His Lips Sin Again**

It had been a few days since the Drew Tanaka curse threat incident, and things were back to normal. _Almost._

Nico had been avoiding Percy and Jason like the Black Plague since last Thursday. Whenever they even _attempted_ to talk to him, Piper would charmspeak and convince both of the boys to walk away. Once they started becoming more persistent, the daughter of Aphrodite had forced them to do more embarrassing tasks, such as begging the Aphrodite campers for make-overs, or modeling flower accessories from the children of Demeter.

Jason would then go on about _unfair girlfriends_ and _stupid Aphrodite powers_ while Percy stomped away angrily like an upset toddler. He may be the son of Poseidon, and one of the most powerful demi-gods in the world, but Percy Jackson still acted like a seven year old.

Now, after a whole week of not speaking, Nico was beginning to crack. The sons of Zeus and Poseidon pissed him off more than Hera and Cupid combined, but they were like older brothers to him (even though he was technically old enough to be their great grandfather), and he knew they were more than sorry by now. He would never admit it out loud, but the son of Hades was actually beginning to _miss_ Percy's stupid jokes and Jason's overprotectiveness.

As he walked along the Strawberry Fields, the son of death was contemplating how to make up with the other sons of the Big Three. He knew that Jason and Percy had been longing for his forgiveness since the moment he stormed off, but would they be keen to talk to him right away? Especially after he had been so cold towards them? Nico's thoughts were interrupted when he suddenly heard a voice calling after him.

It took him a few seconds to recognize the voice, but when he did, he felt his heart skip a beat.

The voice was soft and angelic, as if it had been blessed by Aphrodite herself. It sailed and chorused through the wind like a million symphonies, bringing a lovestruck smile to Nico's face.

"Death Boy!" the voice chirped. " Yeah, you! Death the Kid!"

The Ghost King slowly turned around to find Will Solace practically sprinting towards him. Honestly, he had expected it to be him. The loveliness of the voice gave Will away instantly. Besides, no one else would even dare call him Death the Kid.

Luckily for the son of Apollo, he was the only one who Nico would allow to get away with it.

"What is it, Sunshine?" Nico questioned, seemingly uninterested.

Unbeknownst to Will, the shorter boy was only trying to hide his excitement. The nonchalant response didn't even phase the Apollo camper. After knowing and being friends with Nico for quite a while now, he was used to his distant and lackluster remarks.

Will was beaming at Nico with a smile so bright, it could put Apollo to shame. Nico hadn't seen the son of Apollo smile _that_ brightly since he announced that he wasn't going to leave Camp Half-Blood.

"Mr. di Angelo, after examining your test results from last night, analyzing your physical behavior, and monitoring your healing process, I am incredibly proud to say that you can now fully use all of your scary Underworld-ly powers!"

Nico couldn't help the lopsided smile that appeared on his face. He had missed shadow traveling across America to visit his sister, Hazel, who resided at Camp Jupiter all the way in Hot As Hell California.. He also missed seeing his father on a regular basis.

Unlike most gods and demi-gods, Nico and Hades maintained a very close relationship. When Nico had the ability to shadow travel, he saw his father more times in a _month_ than most of the other gods see their children in a lifetime. Nico was secretly grateful that he would now get to

visit his father more often. Not only that, but Mrs. O'leary, his skeletal cats, and Cerberus required some much needed Nico time.

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around the still beaming son of the sun god and pulled him into a tight hug. Will's heart hammered as he wrapped his arms around Nico's slim waist.

"This is great news," Nico announced happily. He pulled away from Will with a blush when his mind finally registered what was going on. "Thank you so much, WIll. You have no idea how much this means to me."

The adorable blonde rubbed the back of his neck while staring down at his feet, which had apparently become the most interesting thing in the world.

"It was no problem, really," he rambled awkwardly. " Helping people feel better is my job! I was just making sure that you didn't disappear into the shadows for good."

Nico's breath hitched in his throat and his pupils became the size of ping pong balls. He was remembering what Hazel had told him over a week ago… She was afraid of him disappearing into the darkness, and then she would be all _alone_ again…. The memory of the pain in her voice, and the broken expression on her face, caused Nico to interrogate Will for more information.

"Are-are you sure it's safe for me to use my powers again?" Nico whispered, barely audible over his rapid panting. "Am I fully recovered? Are you _absolutely_ positive that everything checks out?"

Will proceeded to bite his lower lip and stare down at his shoes. His actions made the son of death instantly become tense. Will looked worried, and that was _not_ a good sign.

"Please," Nico begged quietly. "-if there's something you aren't telling me, tell me now. You're starting to freak me out, Solace."

The blonde haired boy looked up at the son of Hades with large watery eyes, his soft hands trembling. Nico literally felt his heart drop and shatter at the sight of his sad Sunshine.

"It's… It's nothing bad," Will explained softly, lowering his head even more to avoid the dark haired boy's eyes.

"You were officially cleared to use your powers over a month ago, almost two months ago actually, but I-I got selfish. I was afraid to tell you. I couldn't risk losing you to the shadows. The first time, well, that was horrific. It nearly killed me, seeing you so unhealthy, practically _dead_. I wouldn't be able to keep myself together if it happened again."

Will was so damn afraid. Afraid that his crush would be angry at him. Afraid that his crush would accuse Will of holding him back. Afraid that his crush would have a new found _hate_ for him.

His fears only manifested more and more when the son of Hades remained completely silent.

"Oh gods, Nico, please… I said I was sorry. I just don't want to lose you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something bad happened, and I wasn't there to protect you."

By this point, Will was expecting Nico to slap him across the face and shadow travel down into Hades without a second thought. Instead, the son of death did something much more surprising.

Nico lunged towards Will and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. It was nothing too crazy or erotic, just a sweet display of his affection towards the taller boy. Even so, it was enough to turn Will's insides into jelly.

When the dark eyed boy pulled back, the son of Apollo placed his hand where the other boy's lips had once gently graced.

"What-what was that for?" Will asked, still in a state of shocked bliss.

For months, he had prayed to Aphrodite and his father for something like this to happen. Now that the moment was finally here, he didn't know how to control himself, or his overjoyed feelings.

"For being an amazing person," Nico replied while nervously playing with his skull ring. Kissing Will had taken all the courage he had, and if the son of Apollo rejected or shunned him in _any_ way, the son of Hades would literally _die_ of heartache.

To keep the rejection from occurring, Nico instantly launched into a story about his late mother and his now deceased sister, Bianca.

"When I was younger, my mother and Bianca taught me proper manners, and how to properly thank someone for doing something nice. So thank you, Sunshine."

Okay, so what if Nico's explanation was only _half_ true? Yes, his mother and sister _had_ taught him proper Italian etiquette from the 1930's, but his reasons for giving Will a little kiss were much deeper than that. He _wanted_ an excuse to place his lips on the son of Apollo.

"That's how Italians say thank you?" Will asked shyly.

Nico pulled at his dark bangs, now unable to meet Will's gaze.

"Of course," he responded quickly, nearly tripping over his own words. "Italy is a very… _affectionate_ country. Holding hands and giving kisses on the cheek are completely normal, everyday things."

Will slowly inched his way closer to the son of Hades and intertwined their fingers, planting a soft kiss on his cheek in the process.

The son of death gulped. His face, ears, and neck had turned a dark shade of red.

It had been so long since any boy gave Nico even a sliver of attention, and in all honesty, he was _loving_ every single second of it. The way Will's pretty lips pressed against Nico's skin made his insides stir in a new that was so new and foreign, it both scared and exited the son of death.

The son of Hades' heart hammered even faster when he looked down and saw their fingers laced together. The son of Apollo gripped his pale hand a little tighter. Quietly, he lead Nico into the direction of the woods, where no other campers would be able to see them.

Will didn't want any prying eyes or curious campers interrupting this moment with his Nico.

"Where are we going?" Nico asked in a small voice.

Will hummed softly to himself as he thought of an acceptable answer.

"For a walk. I just want to walk with you for a little while, as a thank you for being a great patient. Doctor's orders."

Skeletal butterflies resurrected in Nico's stomach. They were banging and fluttering at such a rapid pace, the son of death was convinced they would burst out of his chest at any moment.

"Shut up, Solace," Nico responded while holding onto his Sunshine.

The two boys walked in comfortable silence for over half an hour. When the horn blared through camp, indicating that dinner was about to begin, they both stopped dead in their tracks.

Will hopped from foot to foot, wishing that the moment didn't have to end here.

"I promised Lou Ellen and Cecil I would help them prepare for capture the flag during dinner. I should go find them."

Nico's smile faltered, but only a little. His walk with Will had been amazing, but he knew that all good things must come to an end.

"Walk me to the dining pavilion, then?" Nico requested with all the courage that he could muster.

The son of Apollo gave him a goofy grin as he led the younger boy out of the woods and towards the dining pavilion.

Much to Nico's ease, by the time they had approached the camp, almost all of the campers had deserted the areas they were walking through. Since it was a little later at night, it was too dark to tell who was who anyways, but the shroud of darkness comforted Nico even more.

They stopped walking once they had reached the entrance to the dining pavilion. At the position and angle they were in, no one else could see them.

"I had a lot of fun with you today," Nico stated, internally kicking himself for sounding so lame and having such a stereotypical answer.

"Me too," Will stated. "I love spending time with you."

Before Nico could respond, the son of Apollo had leaned forward and attached his lips to his, successfully stealing Nico's first kiss.

 **~Page Break~**

The son of Hades remained silent all throughout dinner. Whenever any of his friends, even Hazel and Reyna, tried to initiate conversation with his, he shut them down immediately. It's not that he wasn't in the mood to talk, he was just too overwhelmed with his emotions to focus on anything else right now.

Nico had been crushing on Will since the end of the war against Gaea. If the son of Apollo held his hand and kissed him first, that was a good sign, right?

Ugh. When it came to romance, Nico was almost as bad as Percy. He had no idea how "feelings" and "attractions" worked, especially when it was between two guys, and _especially_ during this day and age.

If a relationship was between two guys, was it really that different than a relationship between a guy and a girl? Grr, why was he so bad at romance!?

Maybe if he had time, he would shadow travel to the Underworld and ask Persephone for some advice. She was good with this kind of thing.

Wait, nope. He couldn't do that. If he asked his step mother for advice, Hades would obviously hear about it. If Hades heard about it, he would confront Nico about his secret little crush, and then the son of death would be forced to come out to his own father. Oh gods, the idea alone made Nico cringe and want to curl up into a ball.

It's not that he didn't trust Hades, he just wasn't comfortable discussing that part of his life with his godly father. He doubted his father, Lord of the Underworld, wanted to hear about his homosexual love life anyway.

Or did he? Would Hades even accept Nico's homosexuality? The Lord of the Underworld was from ancient times, after all. Gay and lesbian relationships were a common and not looked down upon social norm back then. Surely, his father would not be homophobic, right?

The idea alone made Nico frown. If gay love and relationships were a social norm during ancient times, why were people so homophobic nowadays? The prospect made no sense to the son of death.

The son of Hades shifted his attention away from his father and back onto Will. Were they going to be boyfriends now?

Nico had never had a boyfriend before, and the thought of Will being his first made his heart flutter. Will was strong, passionate, intelligent, and absolutely _break taking_. Nico would love to have his Sunshine as his lover.

Nico's mind was swirling with the memories of his now official first kiss. Ever since he was a little boy, he had always wondered what boys lips tasted like. Now that he knew, he couldn't stop thinking about the delicious flavor of Will's plump cherry lips. The memory alone drove him crazy.

His cheeks were dusted with a light shade of red. Nico was incredibly shocked by his own thoughts and desires. He was raised in a modest household during the 1930's and 40's, and even thinking what he was _thinking_ would be considered lustful and overly sexual. The brown eyed boy managed to get himself even more flustered than before.

Holy Hades, if kissing Will Solace was a _sin_ , then let his lips sin again!

Once dinner was over, Nico made his way towards Percy and Jason, Both boys smiled fondly at the younger son of death.

"Hey, Neeks," Jason said softly.

The son of Jupiter had missed talking to the Ghost King, but he wasn't sure how to approach him anymore. Was he still angry with him?

"How are you, bro?" Percy asked carefully, as if he were walking on broken glass. He too was fearful about his current friendship status with the son of Hades.

Nico scoffed and rolled his eyes at the taller teenagers in front of him.

"Oh come on, guys! We're cool now, don't talk to me like I'm your grandma."

A large smile spread across Jason's face while Percy squealed louder than _any_ girl Nico had ever heard.

"Really?" Percy hollered loudly while throwing himself at the wide-eyed son of Hades.

Nico _hated_ physical contact with a burning passion, unless it was from Will, but this was clearly not the case. He fought the urge to shove the son of Poseidon and awkwardly stood in his arms.

"Oh, thank the gods!" Jason preached to the sky. "We were getting so lonely without our little ball of death! Besides, sparing Percy everyday _and_ kicking his ass gets tiring after a few days!"

"Hey!" Percy shrieked, clearly offended by the son of Jupiter's words.. "If I do recall correctly, it was _me_ who was constantly kicking _your_ ass!"

Jason scoffed and scrunched up his nose, obviously annoyed by Percy's accusation.

"Was not!" Jason cried.

"Was too!" Percy retaliated.

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Was _not_!"

"Was _too_!"

The two boys continued to yell various threats and phrases at each other, causing Nico to rub his temples in frustration. Did they _always_ have to turn everything into a competition?

" _Enough_!" the now angered son of Hades shouted over the two bickering teenagers.

Now that he was able to fully use his dark powers, the prince of the Underworld split the ground open, and several World War II soldiers dug themselves up from the gates of Hades.

 _"I soldati , si prendono cura di questi fastidiosi parassiti che io chiamo i miei amici! Mostrare queste due divinità demi senza pietà! Guerrieri non morti , fanno come io comando!"_

The undead soldiers nodded at Nico and then lunged themselves at the two now frozen with fear boys, tearing them apart, and separating them.

 _"Grazie signori , non sono più necessari i vostri servizi . È ora possibile tornare a Ade."_

The World War II veterans saluted the Ghost King as the earth swallowed them whole once more, sending them back into the Underworld.

"Geez you guys! We reconnect after a week of not talking, and you guys are already fighting?"

Jason and Percy continued to shake their heads in disbelief. Nico di Angelo was one _scary_ demon of death when he was mad.

"How in the _Hades_ did you do that!" Percy screamed after recollecting himself mentally.

"Don't use my father's name as a curse."

Jason rubbed his temples, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Was Nico supposed to be using his dark powers?

"Seriously, Nico, how in the name of Jupiter did you manage to pull _that_ off?" Jason inquired. "I thought you weren't allowed to use your dark magic anymore."

Nico gave the two dumbstruck boys a devious smirk before answering.

"According to doctor's orders, I'm free to use my powers again. Good luck during capture the flag tonight, boys."

And with that, Nico sank into the shadows and shadow traveled across camp, leaving two very terrified demi-gods staring at the spot he had once stood.

 **~Page Break~**

Jason and Percy nearly broke down into tears when the capture the flag teams were announced.

The red team consisted of Hades, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, and Ares. The blue team consisted of Zeus, Poseidon, Hephaestus, Dionysus, Hecate, and a few of the minor gods and goddesses were scattered across both teams.

"You're going down, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth declared while strapping on her full body Greek armor.

Percy rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, but he wasn't able to mask his fear for long. Nico shadow traveled behind the son of Poseidon and whispered a simple "boo," into his ear, causing the blue eyed boy to scream in horror.

Nico howled with laughter as the son of Poseidon fell to the floor.

"Nico, what the- OH GODS! WHAT IN THE NAME OF POSEIDON! I HATE IT WHEN YOU USE YOUR DARK MAGIC ON ME!"

The son of death snickered while joining Piper and Annabeth on the red team.

"It's pay back for your little threat earlier this week, Jackson. Prepare to lose."

Both teams hid their flag and began exploring either side of the woods. Nico and Annabeth had been right all along. In less than half an hour, the red team had won, conquering the blue team's flag with ease.

To everyone's surprise, especially his own, Nico captured the flag for the red team, and it's design transformed into a skull and crossbones. A son of Hades hadn't captured the flag at Camp Half-Blood in _centuries_. Chiron, who had been attending the camp since it's creation, was pleasantly surprised as well.

During the game, it was as if a switch had flipped inside of Nico, He was stronger, powerful and more confident with himself than usual. That son of Hades was on an unstoppable rampage, summoning undead warriors and skeleton soldiers like it was a normal part of his everyday life.

Every camper within the proximity was impressed by the son of death's powers. For some reason, they seemed to be three times stronger than they normally were.

Eventually, Nico (with the help of Annabeth and Piper), managed to corner the other team and take the flag from right under their noses.

The campers cheered and applauded. To Nico's bewilderment, a few of his fellow campers hoisted him into the air and carried him all the way back to camp. For the first time in a long time, Nico di Angelo felt like he had finally found a home.

 **~Page Break~**

Reyna, Hazel, and Frank had been staying at Camp Half-Blood for about two weeks, and now everybody knew why.

On the night of capture the flag, during the camp fire, Chiron had announced that all of Camp Jupiter would be coming tomorrow night for an official camp function.

Each camper beamed brightly and cheered at Chiron's words, except for the children of Aphrodite, who squealed and complained that they wouldn't be able to sew a new dress by tomorrow night.

Once the camp fire had ended, Nico sleepily made his way towards Cabin 13. He hadn't seen Will during the camp fire (he was probably in the infirmary healing the campers who had been injured during capture the flag), but he made a mental note to talk to him about today's events first thing tomorrow.

Skeletal butterflies continued to dance and swirl inside his stomach as he flopped down onto his bed, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

 **End of another chapter!**

 **Hmm, I really don't have a lot to say for this ending author's note. If you guys could drop a review, it would mean the world to me!**

 **First of all, yes, there _was_ a Romeo and Juliet reference in this story! I don't care what people say, in my opinion, it's one of the most romantic written pieces of all time. Bite me!**

 **Personally, my favorite part during this chapter was when Nico said "Don't use my father's name as a curse." It gets me every freaking time x'D**

 **Also, happy late Thanksgiving to all of my readers from the United States! I hope you guys had an amazing holiday! I love you all, and I'll try to update ASAP.**

 **~The OG Judiciorn (Solangelo Shipper)**


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